Bringing the Heat: The Jambalaya Challenge!
Mar 09, 2017
Up until this blog I have played it pretty safe. I like to make everyone happy. As I have gotten older, I have realized that is pretty much impossible. And sometimes, not being happy is okay and necessary. One of my favorite quotes is, “There is no growth without change, no change without loss, and no loss without pain.”
My daughter is quite a bit older than her brothers. She pretty much grew up in a different household. A household in which I just made what I knew she would like and I would eat a salad for dinner. When our family grew, this started to seem ridiculous. It came down to a stand-off. I made dinner and gave her several reasonable options and it was her choice to eat or not eat dinner.
At the time, she was about ten years old and was not having it. For a week straight she stomped off to her room and would not eat. I was the meanest mom on earth. The next week, she sat down, did not say a word, and ate her dinner with an angry stare in my direction. She did not always eat everything that was offered, but the complaints eventually stopped. She changed. Her attitude towards dinner changed and through a painful adjustment period for everyone, our dinners greatly improved.
This is my challenge to you: if you have picky eaters, challenge them this week. Even if they do not like your dinner idea, consider them trying something new as a victory, even if it is just one bite. If they won’t eat it, they can eat cereal or a peanut butter sandwich and you can enjoy your meal. Sometimes it is okay for dinner to not work out. Dinner is a process. Kids that are never exposed to new things could possibly become very difficult to please as an adult.
This week, I am challenging my family with jambalaya. If anything could be the opposite of cheese pizza, jambalaya could be it. My philosophy this week: if you don’t like dinner one night out of the week - that is fine. Eat the jambalaya or make a sandwich! *This statement does not apply to babies, small children, or household pets.

Good luck with your picky eaters!
If you don’t have picky eaters in your family, enjoy your delicious and peaceful meal this week.

- Maureen
A Marketing Mom Striving to get out of the Fast Food Lane and into the Grocery Aisle
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